BIOSPHERE RESERVE GRAN CANARIA

The Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 2005, comprises 43% of the island and a wide coastal strip in the southwest.Gran Canaria is one of the largest Canary Islands, located between Fuerteventura and Tenerife. The island is of volcanic origin and has a round shape. The highest point is the centrally located Pico de las Nieves with 1,949 meters, which gives the island a conical shape. Due to the height of the summit and the characteristic relief of the terrain, the island offers 14 different microclimate zones and habitats. For this reason, Gran Canaria is often called “miniature continent”. Its landscape includes canyons and peaks, beaches, forests and cliffs. Almost half of the 1,560 square kilometers are part of the biosphere reserve in the southwest of the island, the places Aldea de San Nicolás, Arteara and Tejeda, the entire municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Agaete and Mogán at over 300 m altitude, the coastal strip and a small part of Vega de San Mateo inside the island in the landscaped park El Nublo. (Source: http://reserva-biosfera.grancanaria.com/)